At first base.

[EDIT]
I'm always working on my portfolio, and I've realized that I've never shown any of my work here so here is a small sample of work from my portfolio in all it's technicolour glory. ENJOY!

Return!

So I'm back after all those months full with experiences and inspirations.
The current architectural market is tough. But that said, it's not impossible to find placements. It's getting too late in the year to find full year out placements now, so I will most probably settle for internships throughout the year.

I have to learn to prioritize things in my life. We're also trying to start CARP. I feel excited and hopeful for the year ahead in many aspects.

We ourselves can define our life direction, and we decide our future and we can be whoever we want to be. Some basic lessons I've learned from my travels.

Obvious but hard to really understand to the core. I feel I've had a glimpse and I feel all the more wiser. And my hope is that my future self will be looking at my current self in quiet amusement at how far he has come.

Whoever is reading this, thanks for dropping by.
I'll keep you posted!

Bon Voyage!

A week left until I leave for Japan for my new ventures there. I return in October to face the music of economic instability in the world of work. Incidentally the world of architecture has been hit hard by the recession.

Rich people ---> Clients
Recession ---> Poorer rich people
Poorer rich people ---> Less clients
Less clients ---> Less work for Architects
Less world for Architects ---> Less jobs for me

Anyway, no points losing hair over spilled milk right? I've done enough of that during my degree. And I know there is more hair to lose when I continue on returning here.

For now, I'm happy to leave the world architecture behind, for a taste of something else for a while.

So I bid you farewell, for now!
Have a wonderful summer!

The Encore.

Our exhibition show opens this week. So a hectic week of wall painting, preparation of work, and all the things that go with preparing an exhibition space will ensue.

I've also been kept busy with my re-submission and work of sorts. And the pressure is mounting as I prepare to leave to Japan in two weeks.

I hope anyone who finds themselves reading this has a great week ahead!

final everythings

It has been an overloaded month.

This week I'm faced with my final tutorial from which I will receive my final feedback to prepare my work for my final critique on Thursday.

After that, I fly solo so to speak, until the grand hand-in of all my work (which will be a fantastic labour of love no doubt) which is usually a monumental event in itself. In the sense of release from the figurative shackles that bind us to our laptops and sketch books.

This all happens in 20,160 minutes. Yes two weeks. Facebook news is filled with archifellows' dire messages of ensuing failure and ceaseless reminders of what little time we have left.

Countdowns. What a terrible tradition we have created for ourselves. An impossibly sour formula for receding hairlines and excessive weight loss.

Either way, two weeks will pass and this will be over and we'll all be throwing our graduation caps in the air.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bleeding from my eyes and undulating in the fetal position in lack of hope. I ENJOY the stressful but buzzing atmosphere of the studios most times and I appreciate this whole experience.

But I'm looking forward to a little break right now, is all.

Awakening from hibernation

So I'm back for a bit, that is to say I don't know for how long I'll stick around to blog. Such is the fate of a dis-organized students web-log, I guess.

But I have an excuse. It's the last semester, last project, and round up to my whole bachelors degree (a few months to go!), so I better pull my socks up and concentrate on getting that out of the way.

The past few months have been full of non-architectural struggle, including heavy-bouts of very-architectural struggle, the former in the form of general life, and the latter in the form of ceaseless projects and futile attempts of juicing my brain for half-decent design ideas.

We had our final crit of the year last week. Two words. Not good.

My mantra is currently 'It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings'.
Slightly desperate, yes. Hey. I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

Besides my exciting life, I'm sure you're all dying to read about something architectural. I'm sure most of you Brits have had a glimpse of the new Serpentine Pavilion to be built in our beloved Hyde Park (Kensington Gardens to be precise), London. If not, then 'shame on you', as relayed to me often by my very french tutor.

More importantly here it is, in all it's CAD glory:







French architect Jean Nouvel has been selected to design this years Serpentine Gallery Pavilion!(The shiny metal one from last year was by SANAA. Remember it? Good.)

Since 2010, the Serpentine Gallery has commissioned world’s most renowned architects to design a temporary structure to host summer events. The list includes Zaha Hadid, Frank Ghery, Rem Koolhaas, Toyo Ito, Daniel Libeskind, Oscar Niemeyer, Alvaro Siza + Souto de Moura, SANAA (previously featured at AD), danish artist Olafur Eliasson, and several collaborations with Cecil Balmond and ARUP and many others that you may never have heard of.

Nouvel proposes a vivid red metal structure, which trough the reflection of its materials (steel, glass, fabric, polycarbonate). A free standing 12m tall wall marks the presence of the pavilion. I'm in slight confusion as to why everything in London has to look red. But in image of the iconic phone box, red bus etc etc I'm sure it will a fitting addition to the London scenery. Don't you love originality.

Back soon.

Temporary Closure.

There have been a chain of events that have forced me to abandon post for a while.
I will be returning soon, and I'm sorry this hasn't started off so well but I will let you all know when I update next.

See you soon and Happy New Year!